Local Authors Expo and Book Fair Scheduled for Saturday, February 7, at Central Library

Discover a new writer or learn what it takes to write a good book at the Local Authors Expo and Book Fair, Saturday, February 7, from 9:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m., at the Central Library. The event is free.

Authors will be selling books on a variety of topics: from mystery, romance, and Birmingham history to food, children's stories, and biographies. A 2015 calendar featuring notable Birmingham residents will be available.

There will also be two workshops on how to write books and get them published.

At 10:00 a.m., Birmingham attorney, author, and blogger Keith Lee of the Hamer Law Group will discuss everything from copyright and trademark to what pitfalls to avoid in publishing or self-publishing a book. He has written one book and is in the process of writing a second book. He writes a weekly column for Above the Law, the most popular legal blog in America.

At 1:00 p.m., Marie A. Sutton will discuss what it takes to write about history and how to make it interesting. Marie recently wrote a book about the historic A.G. Gaston Motel in downtown Birmingham titled The A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham: A Civil Rights Landmark. Martin Luther King Jr. and other supporters of the civil rights movement stayed there.

There will be something for the kids, too. At 11:30, Alabama's #1 magical mad scientist, the amazing Doctor Osborn will present "Reading Is Magic!" in the Youth Department's Story Castle. As part of the good Doctor's 2015 "Unlock the Madness Tour," children will learn the value of books and the library through Doctor Osborn's unique brand of magic, comedy, and crazy balloon creations.

Books-A-Million and other publishers will be on hand to discuss their publishing process.

For more information, visit http://www.bplonline.org/.

2013 Local Authors Expo